Family Business
by ilovenascar
Summary: Revelations take place after Claire & Alex return from the city. ClaireAlex, TessNick, MegTerry
1. Chapter 1

Fic Title: Family Business

Author: April

Fandom: McLeod's Daughters (Claire/Alex, Tess/Nick, Meg/Terry)

Feedback: Yes, please

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: All usual applies. I own none of them (unfortunately).

Summary: Revelations take place after Claire & Alex return from the city.

Warnings: inferred main character rape in later chapters

Author's Notes: 'You Don't Know Me' is not mine, it's by Michael Buble & SEVERAL others. Neither is 'Mary's Song' mine, it's by Taylor Swift. Thanks to Becky & Asta for all their hard work. ;)

**CHAPTER 1**

Tess Silverman looked around the party, taking a sip of her champagne. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Claire had been in such a good mood lately that she'd allowed everyone to have half a day off and the girls had thrown Jodi a little spa party first, just the sisters, Jodi, Becky, and Meg. She could remember her own twenty-first like it was yesterday. It had been one of the best days of her life, but she wished that Claire had been able to be there…and Nick. As if he could read her thoughts, Nick appeared out of nowhere, putting his arm protectively around her. "Penny for your thoughts."

"Quarter. Inflation." She teased. "Everyone looks so happy."

"They do," he said, smiling as he watched the way Alex was holding Claire close to him, smiling down at her. Finally admitting that they were head over heels in love with each other had done them both good. "Where's Dave?"

Tess took another sip of her champagne before putting it down on the table nearby. "We broke up. He…he couldn't handle it." She had been terrified over the possibility of having cancer like her mother, but what had made it worse was that Dave hadn't been there for her.

Nick looked down at her, not able to pretend that he was sorry. He'd never liked Dave, not for Tess. She deserved so much more and to leave her now, when she was so scared of dying like Ruth had, was unforgivable, in his book. "His loss."

She smiled slightly, the strains of a Michael Buble song beginning. _You give your hand to me. Then you say hello. I can hardly speak my heart is beating so and anyone can tell you think you know me well, but you don't know me._

He held his hand out to her. "Dance?"

_No, you don't know the one who dreams of you at night and longs to kiss your lips and longs to hold you tight. Oh I'm just a friend. That's all I've ever been 'cause you don't know me._

She had been watching Claire on the dance floor, so close to Alex, so obviously in love. She was happy for her sister and her friend, but part of her longed to have that closeness, that familiarity with her best friend, even if the thought of it scared her to death. She almost didn't register his question but, once she did, she smiled, looking up into his eyes. "I'd love it."

_I never knew the art of making love though my heart aches with love for you. Afraid and shy, I've let my chance to go by the chance that you might love me too._

She felt his arms go around her, holding each other close, moving together. She felt so safe here with Nick, loved, cared for. At times like this, neither could remember why they hadn't worked out. She'd convinced him that he could overcome his scars, the heartbreaks of his accident and of being raised a Ryan. He had been the one who'd been there for her every step of the way, even as she'd suspected her cancer until now, after she'd been cleared.

_You give your hand to me and then you say good-bye. I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy. You'll never, never know the one who loves you so. Well, you don't know me._

Nick felt Tess's head on his shoulder as he held his arms around her waist, so close that he could hear her heart beating, hear her humming softly under her breath. He had been in love with Tess from the first moment he saw her and, try as they both had, his feelings for her had never stopped. She looked up at him and, seeing the look in each other's eyes, they kissed and didn't let go.

_You give your hand to me, baby, then you say good-bye. I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy. No, no, you'll never ever know the one who loves you so. Well, you don't know me.  
_

The song had always been so sad to Claire, always reminded her of her relationship with Alex. She'd been in love with him for as long as she could remember, since they were kids. She'd tried to forget, tried to move on with her life, assuming everyone else always took precedence. She gathered that Alex also knew the feeling of the song, since he'd told her he'd been in love with her long before the pregnancy, before their partnership. She was just glad that, this once, there was finally a different ending to the story.

"What?" Alex asked, looking down at her, thinking along the same lines as she was. He knew he was lucky to finally have her and had made a promise to himself never to forget it. She, BOM, were miracles in his life, something he had never believed in, at least not for him.

She smiled, reading his thoughts, taking his hand, slipping away from the party with him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they walked towards the house. "Jodi looks like she's having a great time."

Alex nodded. "Yeah. So does Tess."

She smiled, having seen the same thing he had. "Good for her." She paused. "Dave left her. Couldn't handle the waiting, the worrying…He left her now, when she needed him most."

He knew she was thinking of Peter. Their relationship had started with a lie, trying to protect her and Charlotte, but it turned out to be the best thing in the world for all three concerned. "One of us should go check on Charlotte."

"I will." She paused. "Jodi got a letter today…from Jack." He looked at her strangely. "It must have been written before he died, of course, but…" It had been strange, seeing her father's writing on the envelope. "She wants Tess and me to open it with her. I'll check on BOM then."

He nodded. "Right." He kissed her cheek and she moved his head so that he kissed her lips, smiling as he pulled her closer.

"Stay…after the party." He nodded, nuzzling her neck softly, finally letting her go, watching her walk into the house. It was rare that he saw her wearing a dress and, although she always looked good to him, it was a special kind of beautiful then, like on Meg's wedding day or Jodi's bachelorette party.

Tess finally broke the kiss, touching Nick's cheek, their foreheads touching. "I have to go…" He looked at her, expecting her to do another runner. "Jodi got a letter from Jack, wanted Claire and me there when she opened it." She paused. "Will you be here?"

"Right here." She kissed him again, slipping out of the party as Alex came back in.

* * *

Jodi Fountain sat in the office chair, Claire on her right side, Tess on her left, Tess' hand on her shoulder. Her hands were trembling as she opened the letter, wondering if maybe she shouldn't have allowed her mother in anyway. The reason she had allowed Claire and Tess was that it was one of the last remaining new discoveries of Jack and she felt they should have a part in it, as he had been their father. She read quietly to herself, feeling Tess study every word and Claire struggle not to let how interested she was in what her father had to say show. Jodi read the letter two or three times to herself, not understanding at first, then not sinking in, then the words sinking in all too well. Claire was gone out of the room, the door slamming open, before Jodi could even fold the letter up again and slip it perfectly back into the envelope. For once, Tess was the one rendered speechless and Claire was the one who had far too many words.

Meg Dodge was standing on the other side of the door, worried, terrified, that Jack would tell Jodi the truth, that after all these years her secret would be revealed. Her fears were more than met when she saw Claire's expression when she stormed out of the room. "Claire!"

Claire doubled back and answered without thinking, "How could you, Meg? All this time?"

"Claire…"

"I mean, it was never any secret that you two were having a fling, but how could you not tell me this?! Especially after Tess…" She still remembered the pain she'd felt when her sister had been jerked away from her at such a young age. "To not tell me I had another sister!"

Meg looked like she'd been slapped. Before Claire could say anything more, Charlotte began to cry and Claire went upstairs to her daughter. Tess came out of the room, still speechless, and saw the crowd that had gathered that both Meg and Claire had been oblivious to, Terry, Alex, and Nick standing at the front. She connected eyes with Alex and Nick, Nick nodding, breaking up the scene, and Alex hurrying upstairs to check on Claire. Meg walked into the office where Jodi was crying, not knowing what else to do. She hadn't wanted any of this. Her life had been mixed up as it was; Meg had been the only constant in it. The man she'd thought was her father had left when she was a baby, Terry was great to her mom but he wasn't her father, not really. And then to add Jack onto that seemed too much.

Alex opened the door to the nursery, watching Claire rock Charlotte, tears in both their eyes. He hated to see either of them cry, but could understand why Charlotte did: she was hungry, tired, wet, didn't feel good, or, like now, frightened. Usually there was something he could do. Claire's problems were never as easy to fix. He remembered when Peter had broken her heart, how depressed she'd been, how much she'd cried. He had never seen her cry after Jack's death, but he knew she'd been depressed over how much she'd lost. Most of the time she was like him, kept going, kept moving through it, thinking it would fix itself or go away…it was very rare that Claire cried. For some reason, this news about Jodi was as painful as his own paternity had been for him and he knew there was nothing he could do but be there for Claire, just as she had always been. He didn't speak, just stood in the doorway, watching his family.

Meg walked outside and saw Terry waiting. "Is Jodi okay?" He asked quietly.

"She wouldn't talk to me, wanted to be alone." Her heart hurt that her daughter was hurting, that she had caused Jodi any pain, but at the time she and Jack had both thought it was better the girls not know the truth. She'd trusted him not to tell, had no idea he would still cause this much trouble even after his death. "Terry…" She felt she owed him an explanation, although it was long before they'd been together.

"Claire'll calm down." He knew she had always considered Claire and Tess surrogate daughters, just like she finally had Becky as well. "And Jodi…" He didn't pretend to understand, but he knew somehow that he couldn't walk away from Meg or from Jodi. They needed him and, like always, he would be there.

"Terry, the whole town…" She felt like she'd been exposed, like everyone knew all her dirty laundry. "And the girls…" Like with Alex with Claire, he couldn't comfort the woman he loved, just held one of her hands in each of his own, letting her cry without harsh words or looks of condemnation, something he knew she would get more than her share of later, given the vast amounts of witnesses to what was no longer Jack and Meg's little secret.

* * *

Jodi was asleep in the shearer's quarters with Becky, Claire and Alex were upstairs with Charlotte, and Terry had taken Meg back to the cottage by the time that Nick finally came in the house. He went upstairs to look for Tess, finding her room empty. Charlotte was asleep and the door to Claire's room was closed. He went back downstairs, finally spotting a shred of blonde hair on the floor behind Jack's desk. He knelt down to the floor, wincing from the pain as he did.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked Tess, noticing that she was still wearing her dress from the party.

She looked at him from underneath the desk where she just barely fit. "When we were little, Claire and I…we used to hide here. In Jack's office. Especially when he and Mum were fighting. Nothing bad ever happened here. He…he made it safe. He made us safe."

Nick knew the feeling. When he'd lived at Killarney, even as an adult, whenever he was feeling bad, whenever Harry was making life unbearable, he'd had hiding places from when he was a boy that he went to, places he could feel at peace. "Everyone has a safe place, Tess." She nodded. "I'm sorry…"

"Jodi was born two years after we left." She paused. "He and Mum used to fight all the time. But I don't think it was about Meg. She loved her…or maybe Claire and I did and I was too young to know the difference."

"Or maybe nothing was happening, Tess. A lot can happen in two years." She nodded, thinking back how much had happened the last two years of her own life. "Are you okay about Jodi?"

"Claire knew Meg and Jack were having an affair. She must have." She thought back about the words that her sister had said. "Why didn't she say anything? Why didn't Jack tell her Jodi was our sister?"

"People around here aren't exactly big on the truth regarding paternity," he said, sighing, thinking of his mom and Alex, Claire and Charlotte, now Meg and Jodi. "What you have to think about Tess, is if it changes anything or not." She looked at him. "Alex is still my brother. I don't care if Harry, Bryce, or the stork fathered him." Tess cracked a half-smile. "And Charlotte is still my niece. It doesn't matter the way I look at them. Does the fact that Jack fathered Jodi make any difference at all in the way you see her?"

Tess was silent for what seemed like eons before finally answering. "No." The truth was that Meg had felt like a mother, Jodi and Becky like sisters, since long ago. DNA changed nothing, not in her eyes. Like Alex and Nick, they'd been through too much to see them as anything else, regardless of DNA involved.

"Then tell her and Meg that. Help them. Help Claire." He couldn't imagine how badly his friend must be hurting. She and Jack had been more mates than father/daughter, especially during her adult years.

Tess nodded. "Where is everyone?" She asked, giving him her hand, allowing him to help her stand.

"Claire's upstairs with Alex. Becky took Jodi to quarters. Meg and Terry were walking towards the cottage last time I saw them." He paused. "Why don't you go take a shower, change? I'll make you some tea."

"Nick…" She kept holding his hand, long after she'd stood. "Will you stay? Keep me company?" She paused, confessing, "I can't sleep." He nodded and she smiled slightly, going upstairs to change.

* * *

Nick looked over at Tess, again with her head on his shoulder, his arms around her. They'd watched movies last night until they fell asleep, not talking anymore about Jodi, letting her escape thinking about it, just for the night. Only he had fallen asleep too and now it was morning; neither had really been to bed. He started to cover her with the blanket lying nearby and she woke up as he moved.

"Feeling better?" He whispered, noticing that the eye bags formed by stress usually hidden by makeup were back in full force.

"A little." She looked at the morning coming up over Drover's, something she loved to watch when Claire made her get up that early. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"I'll go check on Charlotte, make some breakfast." She doubted very seriously that her sister had gotten much more sleep than she had and wanted to go to her niece before she started to cry and woke Claire.

He nodded, walking to the kitchen with her, seeing Alex up walking with Charlotte, talking to her in the low whispered voice he used to calm her. She was smiling, watching him like he was the only man on earth, which he was as far as she was concerned. She had already begun to recognize him and 'Uncle Nick' and they were always the center of attention with her.

"Is she okay?" Tess asked, her voice barely above a whisper herself.

"Yeah." Alex smiled at Charlotte. "She's great." Although he'd had doubts at posing as dad to the little girl from time to time, especially during Claire's later pregnancy, when Charlotte had been born, she had wrapped him around her little finger, much as she had her mother and everyone else in the family. "Aren't you, BOM?" He used Claire's nickname for her. "She's perfect."

Meg came into the room, unable to look Tess in the eye. She had been torn between pretending nothing had happened and coming to work as usual or taking the day, maybe the week, off. She had decided to come and let the chips fall where they may, unable to not take care of her girls, regardless of what else was going on at the time. "Good morning, Alex, Nick, Tess…" She looked at the little girl she'd adopted as a granddaughter before she was even born, kissing the top of her head. "BOM."

"Meg…" Tess started and then stopped, not knowing what to say. The other woman looked like she hadn't slept at all and Tess closed her already tied robe a little closer to herself.

"I'll start breakfast," Meg said, her voice breaking slightly at the end. For the first time, she realized what Liz Ryan must have gone through and felt sorry for the other woman. "Is Claire coming down?"

"She's gone," Alex said softly, nuzzling Charlotte's head gently. He saw Tess's panicked look. "She was gone when I woke up this morning. So is Blaze. I figure she's on the hill." Tess nodded, knowing where Alex meant, the small gravesite where all of their family was buried, including Jack. "I was going to check on her as soon as one of you woke up to watch Charlotte."

Tess shook her head. "I'll go." She looked at Nick, silently asking if he minded, and he squeezed her hand lightly, indicating that he didn't. He had been over at Drover's many times before and it would give him a chance to compare notes with Alex about what to do. She saw the stricken look on Meg's face. "She'll be okay. I'll bring her back." She was sure that her sister just needed some time alone to think things over.

* * *

Claire had ridden all over Drover's and found herself at the gravesites. She dismounted, walking over to Jack's, touching it gently. She'd come up here many times before, sometimes just to get her head clear, sometimes to talk to her father, but she'd never missed Jack so much before or been so angry at him, even when he was alive. He had been a part of her life for so long. With her mother dead before she was two, Ruth only here five short years, all the family she'd ever had was Jack. Tess coming back into her life was difficult enough to adjust to, although it had turned out to be the best thing for her in the end. This was impossible to believe, impossible to fathom, and she felt like her world was crashing in. She started crying, finally able to weep the tears she'd never been able to after his death.

Tess saw her sister and urged her horse into a gallop, dismounting, sitting beside Claire on the ground. "I thought you'd be here."

"You said once that Jack was never the bastard that Harry is." Claire wiped her eyes as Tess nodded, remembering. "What do you think now?"

"I think that Jack, that Meg, might have made a mistake. Just like Liz did. Just like you did with Peter." Claire nodded. "Should he have hidden it from you, from us? No. Does that mean we don't love him? Don't see what Meg's done for us over the years?"

"I'm angry." She finally admitted, something she hadn't been able to do with Alex the night before. "I'm so angry at him, Tess."

"I know. But we'll get through this." She held her sister's hand. "Nick and I talked last night, a little bit." Claire nodded, glad something good had come of this. There had always been a little nagging voice in the back of her head that said they might have been together if she hadn't been hurt in the riding accident, hadn't gotten pregnant. "What he said was that we have to decide if it changes anything or not. You always knew that Meg had an affair with Jack." Claire nodded again. It had never been a secret to her; they weren't exactly discreet. "So nothing's changed there." She paused. "Becky, Jodi, they've always felt like sisters to me. Does the fact that Jodi is biologically our sister make that much of a difference?"

"I always wondered why Dad put so much effort into making sure she went to school, making sure she had everything, never had to do anything when she was home…" Claire paused. "I love the time I spent with him. I love my life here at Drover's. But…"

"But you wanted to finish school." Claire nodded. "I don't know why he did that. We'll probably never know." He paused. "But Claire, there's nothing saying you can't go back."

Claire forced a smile. "With a property to run, a breeding program to get started, a daughter to raise, there's no time for school." Claire shook her head. "It's too late for me."

Tess frowned, knowing she could argue that Alex could manage the breeding program, she could head the property, and they would figure out something for Charlotte on nights she had to attend, but knew that wasn't the point. "Then we'll just make sure Charlotte has every opportunity, just like I did. Just like Jodi did. Everything that's best for her." Claire nodded, contemplating that silently.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Claire sat in a chair, with BOM on her lap, waiting. Tess had her final checkup before officially being cleared that day, the same day as Charlotte was supposed to get her shots. The two women had come together, Claire never so eager to leave Drover's before. She looked at the clock on the wall again, hoping Tess would be done soon. She hated the idea of leaving her sister alone, although she had no doubt that all would go smoothly, and she hated the idea of taking Charlotte for her shots alone either. Without fail, the little girl would start to cry and it broke her heart every time, but she knew shots for her daughter was just as important as worming her animals.

Nick looked at the clock on the dashboard of his brother's ute, willing Alex to drive even faster. Originally, they had both decided not to come, Claire and Tess both promising that they'd be all right and they'd call if they needed anything. Sometime during morning chores at Wilgul, the two brothers had looked at each other and, simultaneously, without speaking, gone to Alex's ute and headed towards the hospital.

Alex felt he could have made the drive with his eyes closed. Had it really been only a year before that Claire had been crushed under Brave J, that he'd been in the helicopter accident? He remembered every second of the drive after Claire's accident, how frightened he'd been, the things running through his mind, that he could lose her, that he loved her, the damage Peter had done to her, and the words he'd thought to be a lie, that he was Charlotte's father, all at the top of the list. He remembered the pain after the helicopter accident, but the one other thing he remembered was Claire being right there until Tess and the doctor had taken her away to check her and the baby over. He knew in his heart that she wasn't okay now. He still remembered the look on her face when she'd learned Tess was sick. Her sister and Charlotte were her life; he could only hope it would be better when this was all over, but with the new drama starting up over Jodi, it didn't seem likely.

Claire looked at the clock once more, struggling to stand, her leg still giving her trouble when she'd been at rest a long time. She put her hand down to grab Charlotte's bag as she heard the cooing from her daughter that could only signal one thing. She looked at her daughter's smile, following her gaze to where Alex and Nick were coming in, smiling herself for the first time that day.

Alex kissed the top of Charlotte's head and then Claire's temple. "How is she?" Nick asked, trying not to look worried, but the truth was he was more than a little scared. Although the tests had come back clear, there was a nagging little thought in his mind that something could still go wrong.

"They haven't come out yet." She paused. "Charlotte's appointment is in five minutes."

"I'll stay with her," Nick volunteered, knowing Alex would go with Claire and Charlotte to the appointment.

Claire studied him, as if deciding something, and then said, "Yeah?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah. I'll be right here. When she's through, we'll meet you outside. Have some lunch."

Claire nodded, finally giving in. "She should be out." Tess had refused to let her go into the smaller waiting room and sit with her, saying there was no need, so she didn't know when the doctor had actually gotten around to seeing her sister. Nick nodded as Alex grabbed the diaper bag, walking towards the pediatrician with Claire still carrying Charlotte.

"G'day, Ms. McLeod," The young female pediatrician, Mia Giordano, said, coming into the room, smiling at Charlotte. "G'day, Charlotte." Charlotte smiled at hearing her name, but her eyes totally focused on her parents. Mia paused when she saw the man there, used to Tess coming with Claire. "G'day."

Alex nodded, greeting her, before Claire partially explained, "Mia, this is Alex Ryan."

Mia nodded as if she understood, which she thought she did, checking over Charlotte, proclaiming her to be in perfect health, right on target. She looked at Claire. "Does Dad want to leave the room while the shots are done?"

Claire hadn't heard the word 'dad' applied to Alex in months, since they'd finally told everyone what they'd thought was the truth. She looked at Alex, letting him decide. "I'm staying," he finally said, not sure what he was getting himself in for, noticing Claire hadn't corrected the doctor on the paternity.

He distracted Charlotte, first with a series of whistles and bird calls, and then distracted Claire as well as he began to tell a story of when he, Claire, and Nick were growing up, Claire correcting him often as not with a grin on her face. The baby didn't start crying until the last shot; the needle on which Alex would have sworn was a foot long, at least. Like Claire, he knew the shots were necessary, but it still broke his heart that she had to go through them, especially when she was too little to understand that they were for her own good.

* * *

Nick was standing in the hall when a nurse came out. "Are you with Ms. Silverman?" He nodded. "Would you like to wait with her? The doctor's about to give her the results." Nick didn't hesitate, following her to the room where Tess waited, sitting with her feet dangling off the hospital bed.

"Nick." She had never been so relieved to see him, nor so surprised. "I thought Claire…"

"She and Alex went to get Charlotte's shots." Tess nodded. "I thought I'd keep you company." She nodded, moving over so he could sit beside her on the bed, his arm around her to provide support.

"I'm scared, Nick," Tess finally admitted. "What if…what if it was some kind of mistake? What if I still really do have cancer? What if I lose my hair like Mum?"

"Tess…"

"She gave up, Nick. She gave up on Jack and she gave up on fighting the cancer. She just ran…like I do." She looked up at him. "I've messed everything up."

"You're not Ruth, Tess." He paused. "I should have been more understanding…about Claire. I rushed into things with Sally…We both messed up."

"What if I lose my hair like Mum?" She repeated again, looking up at him.

He kissed her hair, closing his eyes, inhaling the sweet-smelling shampoo she used, before sitting straight up again, opening his eyes. "We'll buy wigs," is all he said, very softly, almost unheard.

* * *

Alex swaddled Charlotte in a blanket, rocking her in his arms as they walked around Drover's, showing her every inch, although she'd seen it all before. It had taken an hour to get her to stop crying and, by then, no one was in the mood for much of anything to eat. Claire brought a cup of coffee and a cup of warm tea out to the porch, handing the tea to her sister. "He's good with her," Tess said, watching Alex with the baby.

Claire nodded, drinking her coffee. "What'd the doctor say?"

Tess turned slowly to look at her sister. "I'm fine."

"Really?" Claire breathed a sigh of relief as she hugged her sister. "We need a party."

"Not another one!" Tess pretended to tease, but had noticed that it had been a week since Jodi's birthday party and Claire still hadn't talked to Meg or Jodi. "Nick and I are going to the city to celebrate…when it's quieter again. That way you and Alex can have the house to yourselves for a little while too." She paused. "I never told you…I'm happy for you. I'm so happy." She squeezed her sister's hand slightly.

Claire watched Alex and Charlotte for a little while, smiling, hearing Alex tell her something about one of the horses. "I've been in love with him since we were kids, you know? I've never really stopped." In the world of uncertainty, there were some things she knew. Her daughter was the best thing that ever happened to her, her sister was her best friend, Drover's was home, and she loved Alex with every part of her being. "The doctor today called him 'dad'. Asked if 'Dad' wanted to be in there when Charlotte got the shots."

Tess paused, thinking before she spoke. "You know how I kept saying you should tell Harry and Liz the truth?" Claire nodded. "I think you did." Claire took another sip of her coffee, looking over at her sister again. "I think that Alex is her father…even if DNA does say differently."

Claire looked out at Alex and Charlotte again, laughing as Roy followed under Alex's feet, the two males already becoming BOM's protectors. Her laughter died down and she spoke. "Peter's in Gungellan tonight." She paused. "Sort of a last-ditch effort to find someone to partner with Australian Bloodlines." She paused again. "Do you think…if we had never spent those five years together…we would have missed each other so much?"

Tess turned to study her sister, not sure what she was thinking. "Claire…?"

Claire turned back to look at her sister, meeting Tess's eyes. "I have to decide…Would it be better for BOM to never know Peter's daughters…or never know Alex?" She paused again. "If something happened to me, Peter would fight guardianship in court. You know he would. And he might win. Alex isn't her legal father and maybe a judge would see an aunt with fewer rights than a father." It was obvious she'd been thinking about it for awhile. "There's a good chance she would never know you, never know Alex, never know Drover's…"

"Claire." Tess reached for her sister's hand again, holding it tightly in her own. "Nothing's going to happen." Her voice let it be known that she wasn't quite sure.

"I'm going to the hotel, talk to Peter tonight." She knew what she had to do. It was better for Charlotte to stay a place she knew, a place she'd be taken care of, rather than face the uncertainty of two sisters, a stepmother, she had never known. She couldn't face something happening to her and Peter taking her daughter away from the people who loved her most.

Tess wanted to argue, but knew better. She had seen her sister this determined before and knew there was no stopping her. "Okay."

"Tess…" Claire began again. "Don't tell Alex." She knew that he wouldn't approve of her going to see Peter, let alone in a hotel room. He hated the man, didn't trust him, and sometimes Claire wasn't convinced he was wrong.

Tess hesitated and then promised as the two sisters sat there in silence.

* * *

Peter Johnson made sure his appearance was perfect, waiting for the knock on the door. He had known Claire would come to her senses, make the right decision, and everything would be fine. Deep down inside, he knew she really loved him. If they were together, everything would be perfect. He would leave his wife, file for sole custody of their daughters, and then he and Claire would raise them alone on Drover's…with the AI contract, naturally. Her sister would learn to love him or find her own place, as would the staff, and Ryan would finally get what he deserved, tossed out. Everything was formed perfectly in his mind, how they would have get married right away which would settle Claire down some, raise horses and children…no detail had been left out, to his way of thinking. He smiled when he opened the door, allowing Claire in, and then shutting it behind her, locking it tight.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Alex chopped wood at Killarney, not that Harry needed the help, but trying to vent the frustration he felt. For the past week, Claire had become distant again, moody, driven. She wouldn't let him near her, never asked him to stay over, barely talked. He'd heard reports from Nick that even Tess couldn't convince her to eat and she worked until she almost fell out from exhaustion. Something was wrong, but since he couldn't get her to talk about it, he knew from experience not to push.

He groaned, seeing Sandra Kinsella come out of the house, a little too perfect, a little too chipper, for his taste. She was a year younger than him, having gone to school with Claire, and there was no love lost between Sandra and anyone. None of that mattered though, since Harry was crazy about her, completely under her spell. She could do no wrong where Harry was concerned, although everyone else in the area knew she was only after one thing…Harry's pocketbook. Becoming Harry Ryan's wife, the mother of his child, would bring prestige, power, and wealth. It would have struck as Alex funny if it was in someone else's family: his mother and Harry had gotten divorced because his mother was manipulative, she'd lied, but his father seemed to cherish that part of Sandra.

"Alex…" Sandra handed him an ice cold beer. "Take a break. Talk to me."

He took the beer, wiping his forehead for a moment, not realizing how long he'd been at it until he felt the sweat on his brow. "What do you want to talk about?"

"You know I've been trying to get pregnant," Sandra said, flat out, pulling no punches.

"Right-o." It had been all she could talk about since Charlotte was born, mostly because of how Harry's attention was captivated by the little girl which left that much less for Sandra.

"I'm not seeming to have any luck." He paused, thinking about responding to that and thinking better of it. "Think you could help me out…as one mate to another? Harry wouldn't have to know."

There were any number of things wrong with that statement. He had slept with her before and had no intention of ever doing so again. Claire was worth more to him than a thousand Sandras. "Harry says he doesn't want more kids, Sandra. You know that as well as I do."

"But he'd change his mind if I had one," she said stubbornly.

"Well, then have one alone." He loved Harry, had started thinking of him as his father again, but he and Nick had both privately admitted for Harry to have another child would be disastrous. "Leave me out of it." He wondered that Harry was really as blind as Sandra would think.

"He doesn't have to know everything I do. And it would be just once." She smiled, but, unlike Claire's smile, there was no warmth to it.

"We would know. And Claire." He made no secret of the fact that his heart belonged totally to his best mate. He was already covering up an old one-night-stand with Sandra from before they'd gotten together, he wouldn't do it again.

"Alex, you haven't been in town this week, have you?" Her smile turned patronizing, rubbing his bare arm gently. "She's been up to old tricks again. Everyone in town saw her going into Peter's hotel room the first day he was in the area. She didn't wait at all."

For the first time in his life, he contemplated hitting a woman, not accidently like when Claire tried to separate his fights with Nick, but on purpose. He clenched his fist and unclenched it. "Well, you'd know that better than I." He put the ax back up, taking the beer, knowing he needed to leave before he did or said something he'd regret.

"Alex…" Sandra was unaccustomed to someone leaving until she'd gotten what she needed from them and was trying to think of a way to get him to stay.

"I need to get back to Wilgul." He got into his ute, letting the door slam behind him, the wheels squeal as he peeled out of the rocky driveway. He needed to get off Killarney, for fear of saying or doing something with Sandra he'd regret as much as needing to talk to Nick about what Sandra had said.

*****

Becky Howard walked up to where Tess was watching Claire work with Phoenix. "How is she?" She asked under her breath.

"No change," Tess answered, also in a quiet whisper, glad that she hadn't had to spill Claire's secret but still had someone to confide in. "She's working herself to death, won't eat, and won't let Alex come around." She sighed. "Bastard. She finally heals and he hurts her again."

Becky nodded, remembering far too well. "Have you tried talking to her?"

"Claire's never been big on talking, you know that." Becky nodded in agreement. "And with her still not talking to Meg and Jodi anymore than she has to…"

"She's totally alone again."

It was Tess' turn to nod. "She's pushed everyone away…even BOM."

Becky sighed. "Have you thought about telling Alex?"

Tess watched her sister. "At least three times a day, but…she made me promise."

Claire looked back from the horse straight at them. "Do you two plan on doing any work today?"

"Right on it, Claire," Tess called, trying to sound more cheerful than she actually was. Her worries about cancer were over, but her worries about her sister were just starting, causing difficulty between her and Nick although not as bad as it once had been. She turned to look at Becky. "Help with the alpacas?"

Becky nodded, going to get the tools they would need after one last worried look at Claire. Claire looked back at Phoenix, beginning work again. It was next to impossible for her to have favorites in her horses, she loved all of them they had worked with, but Phoenix and her mother, Blaze, would have been first on her list. Phoenix was out of Wildfire, Alex's horse, and had been the start of the breeding program. When Phoenix had been weaned, she'd been close to delivering Charlotte and the maternal instinct had kicked up in her just as much as it had in Blaze. She stroked the filly's nose, smiling for the first time that week, looking around, making sure no one else could see, and hugging the horse as she had when it had first been born.

"Claire," Meg's voice came out of nowhere. "Signs of brumbies down by Little Regret. Do we need to call Alex?"

Claire shook her head. "No." She paused. "I put Blaze in the paddock…" She paused again, thinking. "Tess!" Tess's head appeared, her eyes on her sister. "Put Phoenix in the barn. Keep an ear out for BOM for me?"

Tess approached, taking Phoenix's reins. "Is everything okay?"

"Brumbies by Little Regret and Blaze is in heat. I've got to get her." Claire borrowed her sister's horse and rode out, knowing she could get there faster by riding than driving. Meg exchanged a worried look with Tess before she and Jodi drove the ute after Claire, worried.

Tess was walking out of the barn, having locked the horses up tight, as she had chest pain and the nagging, terrifying thought that her sister was in trouble, just as she had when Claire had given birth to Charlotte in an old barn on the property.

"Tess?" Becky came out from the alpacas, noticing her friend was having what seemed to be an attack of some kind. "Are you okay?"

"Claire. Claire's hurt."

Becky nodded. "Yeah." She confirmed, thinking it was the same thing Claire had been dealing with all week long.

"No. I mean…" She shook her head, not knowing for sure what she meant, just that she had to get to her sister. "Call for help…and then call the boys." She went to her Bug convertible, knowing it wouldn't do well in the fields, but also knowing that there weren't many more options. Becky studied Tess before nodding, remembering the feeling that had led her to her late boyfriend's body. She knew better than to question feelings like that. "And watch Charlotte!" Tess said, driving off as Becky went towards the house.

*****

"Jodi!" Meg said, a little too sharply, standing in the field, looking at the horses, her daughter's screams ringing in her ears. The horses now turned, looking at a finally silent Jodi. "Go get help. Go!" She knew she couldn't move Claire, but she could do what she could to protect 'her girls', as well as Blaze and Oscar, from the wild, white brumby that had haunted the property and still, even now, threatened Claire's life.

Jodi heard her mother's words and tried to obey, but was frozen where she stood, unable to move. For the first time, she'd seen Claire as her sister and it terrified her that she could lose her after finally learning the truth. She remembered seeing Claire fall to the ground, unconscious by the time she hit, and there was no way of knowing the damage. She wanted to be brave, be gutsy, like Claire always was, but she could do nothing but stand there and watch helplessly, in shock.

Tess had heard Jodi's screams from where her car had stopped and began running the rest of the way, seeing the three horses, Jodi, Meg, and a figure on the ground that could only be her sister. As she reached the group, she tied Oscar tightly to the fence, hoping he wouldn't get riled enough by the competition to break the fence down, calming Blaze, and trying her best to scare the white brumby off, knowing one of two things would happen. They could be lucky and the horse would leave, Alex and Nick could look for it later, or the horse would kill her, Claire, and maybe Jodi and Meg too. Lucky they were as the horse ran away from 'the crazy lady', finally living up to her local reputation.

"Jodi." Tess connected eyes with her sister, putting her hands on Jodi's. "Ride Oscar back to the house. Take Blaze with you." Jodi nodded numbly. "Your mom and I'll be right there." Jodi freed Oscar and mounted him, clicking her tongue like Claire, Blaze following the sound.

Tess then kneeled beside Meg and the older woman saw the terrified look on her face. "Becky called for help…and the boys."

Meg nodded, knowing the Ryan brothers might be better than a doctor for Claire as well as Tess right then. "I'm afraid to lift her…but we need to get her out of the paddock."

Tess shook her head, too afraid to make a mistake, hurt her sister, and with the chest pain she was still having wasn't sure she could lift anything anyway. "Let her stay here. There's a blanket in the ute. We'll keep her warm. Maybe she'll wake up soon." Meg nodded and Tess ran to get the blanket, covering her sister, trying to keep her warm as they were helpless only to wait.

*****

Nick wasn't surprised when Alex returned, sure that he couldn't take Sandra for very long. Their dislike for the new mistress of Killarney far outweighed their need to have contact with Harry, a fact he hadn't figured out yet. Still, Alex looked far angrier than normal as he got out of his ute.

"What did she do this time?" Nick asked, tossing some fencing gear into his ute to repair a damaged fence.

"Offered to give Harry a grandson that he could call son." Nick rolled his eyes. "And said Claire was fooling around with Peter again."

"She wouldn't do that." Alex looked at Nick, questioning if he was sure. "She's over him. The only thing she's had to do with him since she got pregnant had to do with Charlotte. And she's crazy about you. Everyone needs a moment of bad taste…" He tried to joke at the end.

Any other time, Alex would have had a smart comeback. "I don't understand…Do you think I shouldn't have gone to the doctor with her? Is she upset that the doctor called me Charlotte's dad?"

Nick shook his head. "I don't think that's it." He paused. "How long have we known Claire?"

"Forever," Alex said, a slight smile crossing his lips.

Nick nodded. "She's always told you what was wrong eventually. Give her time."

Before Alex could respond, the phone rang inside and Nick went in to get it, returning, looking like he'd been punched in the stomach. "What?" Alex asked, his senses instantly on alert.

"Becky…Tess had a panic attack," the girl hadn't used those exact words but Nick knew what she meant, having witnessed a few before. "She's convinced Claire's in trouble."

Alex remembered the story of the day of Charlotte's birth, Tess having a panic attack as she struggled in the wheat silo while Claire was in labor, Claire dropping and breaking a glass as she had a horrible feeling that her sister was in trouble. Alex had always been convinced it was what started her labor two weeks early, but he'd never said anything. Although Nick, as well as Claire, was his best friend, he had never had that connection with his brother, but had learned not to question it when it came to the girls. "Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Alex and Nick drove up, leaving a massive trail of dust behind them, as Jodi brought the horses back and Becky came back from checking on Charlotte.

"Oh, no," Alex said, forgetting for a moment that Claire wouldn't ride Blaze without a saddle, only thinking that she had fallen off and Tess had stayed with her. "No." He whispered again under his breath.

Nick had barely slowed down again when Alex got out of the ute, going to the girls. Not for the first time, he felt as Harry must have the day of the riding accident, the way he had felt when Claire was pinned under Brave J at the Stockman's Challenge. "What happened?"

Becky told them all she knew. "Meg saw evidence of a brumby and Claire rode Tess's horse down to bring Blaze back."

"Where's Tess?" Nick asked, having parked but not gotten out until they knew the situation.

"With Claire and Mom," Jodi finally spoke, letting Becky put the horses safely into the barn, going inside to check on her niece, needing the comfort the little girl seemed to bring everyone around her.

Alex got back in the ute, Nick driving off again, worried for his friend, but worried for Tess as well. He was no longer sure which one of the girls, if not both, was hurt and the worry about Tess was maddening. He finally saw the vehicle on the hill, Meg's figure standing and trying to work with something, a smaller figure that had to be Tess kneeling, and Claire on the ground.

Tess had never been so relieved to see Nick and Alex in her life. Claire's eyes were open and she was trying to speak, but it wasn't enough for her liking. The ambulance seemed so far away that she wondered if Meg was right and they should try to move Claire to the house. Claire had lived at Drover's all her life, Charlotte had been born there, she'd started the horse program with Alex there, Tess knew she hoped to get married there…Tess had never been so scared that her sister would die on the property as well, like Jack and Pru had.

As Alex knelt down beside his partner, stroking some hair out of her face, watching her blue eyes try to stay open, try to stay awake, knowing how important it was for her to do so, but no longer able to speak, he realized that nothing that could have happened with Peter, nothing anyone could say, could make him stop loving Claire. He was so afraid he would lose her that he wasn't even sure if he was breathing or not. He heard Meg tell Nick that she and Jodi had followed Claire out in the ute, but it had happened before they'd been able to reach her, that it had happened so fast and there was nothing they could have done. He watched Tess' hands shake as she adjusted the blanket over her sister's body, trying to keep her warm, struggling, as he was, to remain in control while they ran the risk of losing their best mate, closest ally.

*****

Nick drove the ute as they went to the hospital for the second week in a row, Alex sitting passenger, Meg and Jodi following close behind. Becky had stayed behind to keep an eye on Charlotte, no one wanting to take care of a baby that young at the hospital, not knowing how long they'd be there.

"She'll be okay," Nick said, trying to comfort his brother, knowing they had been down this road too many times before.

"Getting in between a brumby and another horse, even for Blaze, is bloody stupid the first time. This is the second time she's done it for that stupid horse. The program's not worth that much. The horse is not worth that much." He paused. "Nothing's worth her life."

Nick wasn't sure that was all there was to it, but didn't comment. Claire could be as strong-willed, stubborn, as his brother some times; it was why they'd always made a good match. There was something going on with her and he realized they might never know what. He sped up a little, worried about Claire, worried about Tess. She hadn't spoken those thirty-five minutes they'd waited together for the ambulance, just climbed in beside her sister, holding Claire's hand.

He stopped outside the hospital, going into the waiting room, seeing Tess, feeling her run into his chest, his arms automatically wrapping around her, holding her, calming his own fears about her being hurt as well as trying to help her calm. "I've got ya," he whispered, kissing into her blonde head, laying his head on top of hers.

"I know," she said, closing her eyes briefly, not even having to look up to see him, feeling him surrounding her.

Finally feeling as if she could breathe again, she straightened up, wiping her eyes, looking around her, seeing Alex pace like one of Claire's horses in a corral that was too small, seeing Jodi hanging on to Meg, tears in the girl's eyes, as worried about their sister as she herself was. She took Nick's hand, leading him over, still wanting him near her like a security blanket or that stuffed horse Alex had given Charlotte, but hugging Jodi. "She'll be right. Hmm?"

Jodi nodded, the first moment they were actually sisters, even though neither of them knew it at the time. "Yeah," the girl wiped her eyes. "No worries." She forced a small smile for Tess, everyone watching Alex.

"I'll talk to him," Nick offered.

Tess shook her head. "I'll do it." She turned to look at him. "Come get us?" He nodded, kissing her temple again, watching her walk away, lead Alex to a quiet, private place where they could talk.

Tess got him to sit and then held his hand so he would stay there. "She'll be okay. She has to be. She's Claire."

"Lately…" He paused. "I don't know who she is." He paused again. "Do you think that Claire…what happened…is hormones? Like when she was first pregnant?"

"Telling you she loved you, hormones?" She turned and looked at him, saw the serious expression on his face. "No, Alex."

"First she sees Peter, then she calls us off, then she does something so unbelievably stupid…Is she trying to get herself killed? To leave BOM with no one?"

Tess sighed. "You heard." She paused, trying to think. "It's not what you think, Alex." She bit her lower lip, looking over at him. "She went to talk with him. Wanted a compromise, his name to remain on the birth certificate, but something in writing that said if anything…anything ever happened…" She paused. "If anything ever happened, Charlotte would be protected. Would stay at Drover's with me…with us. I told her she was crazy. Nothing would ever happen. But it was important to her…" She trailed off. "The next morning, she still wasn't home." Although he tried not to, his jaw clenched. "I found her alongside the road. She'd left the merc in Gungellan, tried to walk home." She paused again. "He hurt her, Alex."

He looked at her, first not understanding, and then understanding all too well. He felt as if he were going to be sick and then was angrier than he ever remembered being. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"She didn't tell me, Alex. Hasn't talked about it at all." She paused. "I was afraid…Afraid she'd end up killing herself by it…and she almost has." Alex knew how true those words were and it scared him. There was still the possibility that Claire could actually die this time and he didn't know if he could handle it.

*****

"Let me know if there's anything else."

Nick joined Alex and Tess a few minutes later. "A nurse is supposed to come out and talk with us in a few minutes."

Tess looked up at him, not sure what to make of that news. "Is Meg still here? Jodi?"

Nick nodded. "Jodi found you a cappuccino machine. She's got a cup waiting."

Tess nodded, looking up at him gratefully, leaving the two brothers alone. "Harry called. Talked to Becky, wanted to check on Claire." He sat down beside his brother. "He and Sandra volunteered to watch Charlotte tonight, give Becky a breather."

"Claire'll love that." He knew she wouldn't approve of Sandra having anything to do with Charlotte and, although Harry loved his only grandchild, he had never babysat before.

"He's trying to help. Feels awful that he can't do anything."

Alex nodded, knowing the feeling and also knowing there was little he could do to stop Harry from doing anything from here. "C'mon. The nurse will be out soon…we can all go see her." Alex nodded, standing, joining Claire's family.

The nurse gave them a quick rundown, all being grateful that it had looked much worse than it really was. Alex walked inside with Claire, touching her cheek gently, seeing how pale she looked. She should be home at Drover's, laughing with him as they played with Charlotte, working with her horses, talking with Tess…not here in the cold hospital room, hanging on once again, struggling to survive. He knelt down, kissed her forehead, letting his eyes close as he inhaled her nearness, then opened his eyes again, straightening back up. "You and Meg…Jodi…look out for her. I've got…I've got to go."

"Alex…" Tess began, worried what he'd do if he left.

"I'll be back. If she wakes…" Tess noticed he said 'if' not 'when'. "Call me." Tess nodded, knowing there wasn't anything she could do.

"Where's he going?" Nick asked, watching his brother move past him.

Tess shook her head. "I think I stuffed up. I just…I didn't want him thinking Claire was giving him the run-around." She paused, taking a breath and slowly let it out. "Peter hurt her."

"You mean…" Nick paused, knowing what she meant. "You'll be all right?"

Tess looked at Meg and Jodi who were in the hallway. "I'm all right. Go after him…don't let him do anything stupid." Nick nodded, going out as Meg and Jodi came in, sitting with Tess, waiting for Claire.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Nick muttered under his breath, wondering what his brother was thinking. The way he was driving, he wanted to put himself into hospital too, leave Charlotte with no one. Alex lost him easily but he knew where his brother was going, one place, the Gungellan hotel. He sped on, worried that Alex would do something stupid, damage to Peter that would land him in jail or air Claire's secret. He hadn't seen his brother this angry in ages.

Alex stopped at the hotel, asking about Peter's room, and then bursting in to see a woman crying, her hands shaking so badly that he was scared she would fire again by accident. He took the gun, trying not to look at Peter's dead body. He'd wanted him dead many times before, all having something to do with Claire, but he'd never expected it to happen. He wondered who the woman was, but couldn't find it in himself to ask. She threw up and then ran out, just before the constable came in.

Nick arrived as Alex was walking out of the room with the constable. He looked at his brother, willing him to say it was some sort of mistake, that he'd just caused another fight and was going to talk it over. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"Peter Johnson was shot dead. We found your brother in his room."

Nick tried to keep a poker face. "I'll get Harry."

Alex shook his head. "Go…go help Claire."

Nick looked at his brother. "Tess, Meg, and Jodi are with her. She's fine." He paused. "Let me get Harry." Alex didn't respond, just walked away with the constable towards the station.

Nick moved to look into the room, not going in, trying not to call attention to himself. He looked at Peter dead and wondered what the girls' reactions would be. Twice, Claire had been engaged to him, he was Charlotte's biological father, it was his name on the birth certificate, but so much had happened. He turned slightly, seeing the gun, frowning, knowing it wasn't fitting right. Alex might have beaten the man to death, he might have shot him with a shotgun, but a pistol, especially one that size, didn't look right. It looked more like one a city girl would use to protect herself, not one a country bloke would use to kill a dingo, much less another man.

He went towards the hotel office, wanting to get the facts before calling Harry. He knew that Alex had asked him to stay out of it, to go take care of Claire, but he couldn't walk away. Besides, with the girls at Claire's side, Harry taking care of Charlotte, the only thing he could do to help Claire was to bring Alex back to her. He heard the sound of a woman crying and followed it, seeing a woman about five to ten years older than Claire, eyes red from tears. She obviously wasn't from the area and, instinctively, he knew the gun had belonged to her. He sat beside her, offering his handkerchief.

She looked up at him, searching his face. "You're one of the Ryans…Alex?"

Nick shook his head. "No. Nick. I think…I think you've met Alex."

She started crying again and he wished he could do more to help her. "What's your name?"

"Julia." She paused, her hands still shaking. "Peter…Peter was my husband."

*****

Alex sat in a chair at one of the desks, knowing if it wasn't fear of Harry's reaction in the town, he'd be in a cell right now. He had plenty of reasons to want Peter Johnson dead and he'd been holding the gun. This was not what he wanted to happen, not where he needed to be. He had been wrong to go off half-cocked, but he had done it all his life. It had finally landed him into the trouble he'd always been promised. There were no tears over Peter's death; the only redeeming factor of the man was Charlotte and she'd always had more of Claire in her than Peter. He missed the little girl, missed Claire, and wanted to be there with her more than he ever wanted anything.

Julia and Nick walked into the office together, Nick walking close to her to protect her. As angry as he had been at Tess in the past, he couldn't understand what could drive someone to kill the person they loved. Alex and the constable looked up to see Nick standing there with the woman and Alex studied her, wondering again who she was. He was sure that he had never seen her before but there seemed to be a connection between them he couldn't quite understand.

"Miss?" The constable asked, studying Julia, wondering if she would decide between running again or finally speaking.

"I killed my husband."

*****

Alex and Nick were silent when they finally arrived back at the hospital. The waiting room was empty except for Jodi and Meg. Jodi's curly head was resting on her mother's shoulders, Meg's arms around her, all being forgiven between the two, finally. Meg was still awake and looked up at the boys when they entered, curious, seeing the look on both men's faces, fatigue mixed with a remorse, a sadness, that Meg had only seen on Alex's face once before.

"How is she?" Nick asked, his voice down to a whisper in order to let Jodi sleep, knowing she, like Tess, had probably not been able to rest much lately.

"Claire's doing well. She woke up and they don't think there's much damage." She couldn't tell Alex that she'd kept asking for him, wanting him there with her. "She could come home at the end of this week, maybe the middle of next…"

"Tess?" Nick asked, processing his thoughts.

"The doctor wouldn't let us all stay with her, but she wouldn't leave."

Nick nodded, the boys going back to Claire's room, seeing Tess sit in the exact same spot he'd left her in, as if there was a cord between her and her sister and, if she moved, it would break. She looked up, tears of relief and exhaustion in her eyes, as the boys came in, standing, wanting to scold Alex. She kept hearing Claire's voice ask for him over and over again. She'd made up excuses but Claire would keep asking, either forgetting or not believing her. She wanted to ask what happened but knew that was a better question for Nick. Alex sat in one of the empty chairs on Claire's other side, stroking her hairline with his fingers, kissing her forehead gently.

Tess took Nick's hand, walking down with him towards the cappuccino machine, wanting to give Alex time alone with Claire as much as she needed a cup of the foamy coffee that had kept her going the past two weeks. "What happened?"

He studied her and then just told her, not wanting to keep a secret, knowing the hard way that secrets only tore families apart. "Peter's dead."

"Alex?" She took a look back in the direction they'd come and then back at Nick.

"No." He paused. "Peter's wife. Julia." She looked at him, confused. "She heard the rumors about Claire going to Peter's room. Thought they were starting up again."

"No danger of that."

He remembered Alex's worry earlier; it seemed a lifetime ago. "Do you remember the wreck when he was here for Charlotte's naming ceremony?" She nodded. "The damage to his head...he would be fine sometimes and then others…it was a completely different personality."

"Like hurting Claire," she said, half question, half statement.

He nodded. "And hitting his wife." He couldn't imagine doing that either. "She couldn't take it anymore."

She took a sip of coffee, trying to process what she'd just been told. "So she killed him?"

Nick nodded. "So she killed him." He paused, deciding to tell her the rest. "And then ran. The constable came in…Alex was standing there alone with the gun in his hand that he'd taken away from Julia. If she hadn't come back, he might still be there."

"I don't know…I don't know how Claire will react. She doesn't love him anymore, he hurt her, but…he's Charlotte's real father."

They had turned, walked back to the room, and were looking in at Claire and Alex. The man who had once been the wildest person in the area, starting fights, womanizing, drinking, had totally settled down due to his love and complete devotion for two people, his partner and her little girl. "Is he?"

Tess watched them, thinking the same thing Nick was, didn't respond, but smiled as she saw Claire's eyes flutter, trying so hard to open. "Alex..."

"I'm here, Claire." He held her hand in between his own larger ones. "I'm here."

Her eyes focused completely on him, seeing the gentleness in his eyes, the way he'd always looked at her, even before she realized what it meant. "You're here," she whispered.

He nodded. "Get some more rest, Claire." He kissed her forehead again.

"Want to go home..."

"Soon, Claire," Alex promised. "Very soon. Rest now. We'll all go home, see Charlotte, soon." His voice broke slightly but Claire was already too close to sleep to notice.


End file.
